Violets in the Hallway
by Amaranta Vargas
Summary: Roderich comes home from work to find his wife in a compromising position which leads to him leaving. Where will he go? Pre-established AusHun, PrusAus, Spamano, mentions of Spaustria.
1. Revelry

It had been a long day of teaching, and Roderich had never been so glad before that it was a half-day, and he could get home to work on his latest composition. He parked his small car in the driveway, noticing an unusual car parked across the street. Roderich stopped and regarded it for a few minutes before dismissing it as a waste of money as he headed into the house. It wasn't the biggest home on the block, but Roderich felt that it was perfect for a couple who was still in the early stages of their marriage.

Five years – a brief smile flitted across Roderich's face as he entered the home. He could hardly believe it, and he hoped for at least another fifty. He felt that he loved his wife more than he'd loved anyone before – even Antonio, his hot, Spanish ex-boyfriend from his junior and senior years of college. But he shook those thoughts from his head as he went into the living room, hearing odd noises – was Elizabeta watching TV? As he got closer, the sounds became more...distinct, and a red flush crossed his pale face as he rushed to the living room, in fear that she was being violated.

Oh...

Oh _my_...

Roderich had never seen her bend like that before...but who was that man?  
"Elizabeta Edelstein, what is going on here?" Roderich's voice was level, but a little higher-pitched than he'd intended. "Who's this man?"  
Elizabeta's face paled quickly.  
"R-Roderich...I didn't expect you home so soon!" She grabbed the blanket off of the back of the couch and handed it to the man, shoving him off of her with ease.  
Roderich frowned.  
"I told you that I would be home around 1:30 today because we had a half-day at school due to a staff meeting." Roderich cleared his throat, his voice going back to his normal pitch. "But that doesn't explain...him." He gestured to the stranger, who was currently getting dressed in what appeared to be workout clothes.  
"Oh, um...this is Sadiq..." Elizabeta looked away from Roderich's gaze, at least having the decency to look downright mortified and ashamed at being caught in the act.  
"...Sadiq. Sadiq...as in this is your dance instructor Sadiq?" Roderich shot him a glare.  
"Yes..." Elizabeta's voice was barely a mumble. "Roderich...I think we just need some time apart. I love you, but...I just...I'm sorry." She looked at him, tears falling down her cheeks. "I think you should leave. I just need time to clear my head."  
Roderich stood there, gaping, as Sadiq mumbled something into Elizabeta's ear and headed for the kitchen. It sounded like he was going to cook or something.  
"Elizabeta..." Roderich felt so small at the moment, as if something had just been sucked out of him.  
"Please, Roderich...don't make this any harder than it needs to be..."  
Harder than it needs to be? Roderich clenched his jaw, anger bubbling up in his throat.  
"Harder than it needs to be? It's easy for you to say – you just spread your legs and lay back! I'm the one who came home to find his wife cheating on him with her dance instructor!" Roderich snarled, heading for their bedroom. "Roderich, please!" Elizabeta pulled on a robe, and followed him. "I didn't mean to..." She stopped in the doorway, slumping against it. "I took the class because I wanted to be able to be sexy for you...but then...there was Sadiq. And you've been so busy lately, meeting demands that I just...his words..."  
"You could've resisted." Roderich's tone was frigid as he packed the suitcase to leave. When he was done, he left the house quietly, stopping only briefly to run his fingers over his piano. "I want this to be left untouched. It's mine – you can have whatever else in this house." He left quickly, throwing his suitcase into the back of his car and calling up an old friend when he was out of the driveway.  
"_Hola?_" A Spanish accent came from the other end.  
"Antonio Carriedo? It...It's Roderich..." Roderich almost sounded calm, but Antonio knew his ex-boyfriend well enough to know when he was upset.  
"Piano man! What's wrong, amigo?" Antonio asked, concerned. He and Roderich had split on amicable terms, and had chosen to remain acquaintances.  
"Elizabeta...cheated on me. I need a place to stay..." Roderich was trying hard not to crack.  
"I'd offer mi casa, but it's barely big enough for me and Lovino. I'm sorry." Antonio said, but then remembered something. "Hey, I heard Gilbert's looking for a flat mate...why don't you try him?"  
"Gilbert...I haven't spoken to him in years...I wonder if he remembers me." Roderich mumbled.  
Antonio laughed. "There's only one way to find out, specs...why don't you try calling him? I have his number right here..."  
Roderich swallowed, feeling like he was drowning in a sea of uncertainty – if he couldn't find a place to live cheaply, then he wasn't sure what he would do.  
"Alright, Antonio...I'll call him." Roderich took down the number when Antonio dictated it to him, and ended his conversation with Antonio to give Gilbert a call.

Gilbert had been sitting in his flat, drinking a beer, when his phone rang. With an over exaggerated sigh, he hopped up and grabbed the phone. The number on the caller ID looked familiar, and he answered.  
"Hello?" Gilbert sounded a little gruff, unhappy at being disturbed during his wind-down time.  
"Hello, is this Gilbert?" The voice on the other end sounded familiar. "I'm calling about you needing a flat mate."  
"Yeah, this is Gilbert Beilschmidt." Gilbert set down his beer, grabbing a pen and a piece of paper. "And who are you?" He started writing down a few things that the potential flat mate would need to know.  
"Roderich Edelstein – we roomed together in college, before you graduated." Roderich replied.  
"Oh, heeeey, Specs! How ya been?" Gilbert grinned. "The last I heard, you'd gotten married – so why are you looking for a flat?"  
A sigh came through the phone, and Gilbert had a feeling that the man on the other end was having a rough time.  
"I caught Elizabeta cheating on me...she kicked me out." Roderich replied. "I have a full-time job as a band director at the high school, so I could pay rent on time and take care of myself."  
"If you have a full-time job like that, why not get your own place?" Gilbert blinked, but then let out a laugh that was so very familiar to Roderich's ears. "You're as cheap as ever, huh?"  
"I am not cheap – I am just very frugal." Roderich replied, frowning. "Do you want a flat mate or not?"  
"Sure, sure..." Gilbert's laughter died into chuckles. "Let me give you the address..." Gilbert rattled off the address, which Roderich jotted down on a discarded receipt with an old pen.  
"I'll be there soon." Roderich told him. "Goodbye." He hung up, and headed for the flat.  
After Roderich hung up, Gilbert stood there, shaking his head. An old ache shot through his chest, and he wondered if this was going to be a good idea. Gil headed for the living room, to finish his beer, and then clean up the empties.


	2. Reunion

Gilbert had barely finished cleaning up the empties and straightening the place up when there was a firm knock on the door.  
"Come on in." Gilbert called out, smoothing down the front of his wrinkled shirt. A few moments later, Roderich came into view, carrying a suit case and not much else. "Well, this is it..." Gilbert grinned. "What do you think?"  
Roderich cast a swift, appraising glance around, and then focused on Gilbert.  
"It will do." Roderich replied. "Where is my room?"  
Gilbert took this as a sign that Roderich would stay, and led the brown-haired man to his room, which was beside Gilbert's own room. Roderich went into the room, glad to see that it was a rather nice room and not at all what he was expecting, and set his suitcase onto the bed as he began to unpack. Gilbert watched from the doorway, not recognizing the man before him as the hotheaded, snobby young man he remembered from school. There was still a faint air of the aristocracy about Roderich, but his temper seemed to have faded, and Gilbert wondered if that was what being married did to people.  
"I awaken every weekday morning at 5:30." Roderich spoke, and broke the silence that had settled over them. "I am at work by 7:30, and school goes until 4 in the afternoon. When it lets out, I usually spend time tutoring in the library until 5:30, for the kids who are falling behind in classes."  
"What do you teach?" Gilbert inquired, rather curious.  
"I teach concert band, musical theory, and math." Roderich replied. "I only took on the last one because the other teacher was fired, and they needed someone last-minute."  
"I don't recall you ever really taking math when we were in school." Gilbert was a mite confused.  
"It was a minor I decided to take on after you graduated, since I had shown such proficiency for it in high school." Roderich nodded. "So I graduated with a major in music and education, with a minor in mathematics."  
Gilbert let out a low whistle. "And I thought I was doing well with my engineering...you've outdone yourself, Specs."  
"It was nothing." Roderich finished unpacking, and put his suitcase into the closet. "I will see about having my mail and such forwarded to this address-"  
"What about your stuff from your house?" Gilbert inquired.  
Roderich gave a wry smile.  
"I told Elizabeta to keep everything, and that I would send for my piano." Roderich replied, trying not to think about it too much. "I could probably fit it into the music room at school. They need a new piano anyway."  
"Trying to forget her, huh?" Gilbert shook his head. "It sounds like you're keeping yourself together pretty...well..." He trailed off at the sight of those glistening violet eyes, which were keeping in so many tears – how had Gilbert missed that? Roderich was too good at hiding how he felt – Gilbert recalled that much from their school days together, back when Roderich insisted that he was a good Christian man and Gilbert had led him into such delightful sins...heh. Even just recalling it gave Gilbert a sense of pleasure and pride.


End file.
